Technical Talk with RF

ReliabilityFirst (RF) offers a regularly scheduled monthly call to provide entities and stakeholders with a forum for addressing topics and questions relevant to reliability, resilience and security.   

While RF Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will provide presentations and updates, they will not address entity-specific questions and issues. These types of questions can be handled offline by using the RF Assist Visit program. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mike Hughes, Entity Engagement Manager, 216-503-0617.    

Event Information    

Join link:   

https://reliabilityfirst.webex.com/reliabilityfirst/j.php?MTID=mbdaeffd5099b7923a6b29e9b4b944678 

Meeting number: 2315 320 2647 

Meeting password: 0123456 (0123456 when dialing from a phone or video system)   

Join by phone: 1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)   

Access code: 231 532 02647 

Agenda 

FirstEnergy CIP-003-9  Implementation 

Donna Bursick, Director, OT Systems & Tx/Dx Products, FirstEnergy
Jason McCormick, Director, Cyber Security Governance, FirstEnergy
Grant McDonald, Technical Advisor, IT Transmission Systems, First Energy

FirstEnergy representatives will discuss the company’s implementation of NERC Reliability Standard CIP-003-9 ( Cyber Security — Security Management Controls).

How to address the risk of insufficient trained OT cyber security personnel 

Mike Holcomb, Fellow, Director – ICS/OT Cybersecurity, Fluor 

The present draft version of NERC’s CIP Standards Roadmap identifies the lack of sufficient numbers of trained OT cyber security personnel as a risk. Mike will discuss a potential path forward to train new OT cyber security staff. 

 ICS security without the guesswork: a risk-first approach  

Stacy Bresler, Managing Partner, Archer Energy Solutions 

In the electric sector, ICS security decisions must balance security, safety, and reliability. Yet many programs are shaped by urgency rather than understanding. A high-profile incident, a regulatory pressure point, or a vendor’s promise can set priorities without answering the most important question: what is at risk and how do we know? This often leads to investments that look solid on paper but leave critical assets vulnerable in ways that are not immediately obvious. 

CIP standards update 

Lew Folkerth, Principal Reliability Consultant, External Affairs, RF 

FERC announced action in three areas of the CIP standards on Sept. 18. Lew will provide a summary of these actions. 

Resources

Tech Talk with RF – October 2025

FirstEnergy discusses CIP-003-9 implementation | Presentation recording

How to address the risk of insufficient trained OT cyber security personnel | Presentation recording

ICS security without the guesswork: a risk-first approach | Presentation recording